If you’re like me, you’re absolutely tired of the drama and the all around piss poor PR mess created by both the Orlando Magic and Dwight Howard over the past 9 or 10 months. If you’re unfamiliar with this mess that I speak of, allow me to give you a rundown:

Dwight Howard told the Orlando Magic that they either needed to surround him with players he had a part in selecting or he would ask to be traded.

The Magic tried and failed because nobody wanted their crappy contracts.

Dwight Howard asked to be traded.

The Magic asked Dwight what it would take to keep him, he said, “Fire Stan Van Gundy.” (They later did.)

Dwight denied ever saying that.

Before the trade deadline, Dwight insisted that the Magic trade him, preferably to the New Jersey Nets.

The Magic reportedly told him he’d be going to the Lakers.

Dwight waived his opt-out option to remain with the Magic.

The season ended.

Everyone in the media made a whole bunch of sh*t up.

We know that the Magic have entertained multiple trade offers for Howard from teams like the Lakers, Houston Rockets, and Brooklyn Nets, among others, but nobody seems to know what players were actually involved, which teams were taking which bad contracts, and what draft picks were going where. Unless you ask Nets GM Billy King, who will probably say that the Magic are a bunch of doodie heads for not taking his awesome pupu platter that led the Nets to 21 wins last year.

Basically, everything that has been “reported” has come through the magical “sources” of ESPN beacons of integrity like Chris Broussard, local Orlando media hacks, and people just regurgitating what Howard’s friends are telling them. So take it with another huge grain of salt when Broussard “reports” today that “sources” are telling him something new.

An executive who has had discussions with the Magic regarding Howard said Orlando only will trade the star center in a deal that is great for the franchise. The executive said this has been Orlando’s stance for the past “week or so.”

Another executive who has talked with Orlando said he thinks the Magic may start the season with Howard and wait until the February trade deadline to move him.

Each executive left the door open for posturing, noting that the Magic may be bluffing in hopes of coaxing better offers out of opposing teams. But the overriding sense is that Howard may not be moved for weeks, if not months.

And as an example of how horrendous and lazy the reporting around this whole ordeal has been, that Broussard story about the Magic waiting to make a trade has somehow been turned into “the Magic are going to try to keep him”. I don’t… I just… Huh?

Burnsy, you should just start reporting that Howard is doing whatever you want him to do (stay forever, get traded for 40 players, whatever), and push it hard enough that everyone gets confused and it actually happens. The ol’ Duck Season/Rabbit Season switcheroo!